Heart of Darkness

Roxana was surprised to know that the king had a secret passage where he snuck out of the castle without the guards knowing. Perfect. Maybe she would use this passage if anything went wrong during her robbery. 

Once they were outside and a good distance away from the castle, they slowed down. Roxana glanced at Skender. Under his cloak, he wore a simple black shirt, black trousers, and boots. And still, he looked the same. In fact, he made the clothes look more luxurious. 

With his help, she could sell anything. She would only make him wear it and it would be sold. He would make a sack look good as clothing with that body. Tall, powerful but not too big or bulky. 

"Your Majesty. Have you been to the night market?" 

"No." 

Oh. Poor man. He was missing out on a lot of things in life. "Do you want to go there?" 

"If you don't mind taking me there." 

She smiled. She would show him everything he was missing out on. Why was she sp excited about it? 

Roxana took Alexander to the night market. They walked around, looked into different shops, and observed some beautiful items. He wore a hoodie to hide his face but people would still try to take a look as if they knew, a beautiful creature was hidden behind the cloak. It must be his magnetic aura. 

As she looked around she stopped in front of a gemstone shop. The sapphire stones caught her eyes. The blue sapphire was the most sought out, especially the vivid blues. The darker ones were also popular and the ones with hints of purple, like the king's eyes.  A vivid sapphire with purple hues. She wanted it, even if she knew these ones weren't real. 

Suddenly Alexander walked passed her and went to the shop where the seller put forward his stones in all the shades that he had. "Which one do you like?" He asked her. 

"I was only looking." She said. 

He picked up the one looking like his eyes. "How much for this one?" He asked the seller. 

Luckily the seller didn't lie about them being real and sold them for a reasonable price for what they were. Alexander bought one and then gave it to her. 

"You didn't have to." 

"You seem fond of gemstones," he said. "And it is not real, so it is barely a gift." 

Not for him who could probably buy a real one but for her this was still a gift. A much-appreciated one. "Thank you." She smiled. 

If he only wasn't like this, she would have been able to ignore him but he had to charm her each day. 

They walked through the market then headed toward the ocean where she lived. "You live near the ocean," He said as if realizing something. 

"Yes." 

Soon they could hear the waves. Roxana loved living near the ocean. She could see the sunrise and set so perfectly and she could watch the waves at night. 

Uncle Benedict appeared in sight, walking toward the ship with a pot in his hands. He made her soup again. 

"Uncle Ben." She called and waved. 

He looked her way. "Oh, Rox. I thought you were already home." 

He came scampering with his pot and when he neared he slowed down a bit, his eyes fixating on Alexander. 

"Your Majesty," he said dropping his jaw. 

How did he know? 

He put the pot away on the ground quickly and bowed. Then he looked confused between her and him. 

"Uh… this is my uncle, Benedict." She introduced him. 

"It is nice to meet you, uncle Benedict," Alexander said. 

"The pleasure is all mine, Your Majesty. " He was still shocked. "I-I made soup. Fish head soup."

"Fishhead soup?" It wasn't a normal thing in this kingdom. 

"Yes, Your Majesty," She went to stand beside uncle Benedict. "It is delicious and it also helps with your sta…" she bit her tongue. 

God! Was she just close to telling him that it would help with his stamina? She looked him up and down and swallowed. He certainly needed no soup for that. 

A subtle smile curved his lips and her face burned. Did he figure out what she was about to suggest? 

"Your Majesty. Would you like to join us and have a taste?" Uncle Benedict asked. 

Join them? Would he be willing to taste a soup made by the poor when he had cooks making him the most delicious food? Perhaps he would feel disgusted. 

"I would love to. I have never had fish head soup." He said. 

"You will love it, Your Majesty." Uncle benedict said looking happy. "How about we eat it at the beach?" 

"That sounds lovely." 

"Alright then. Rox, take his Majesty to the beach. I will come back with bowls and spoons." He gave her the pot and hurried away excited. 

Roxana looked over at Alexander to make sure he followed her to the beach. They sat on the sand near the ocean and watched the waves as they waited for uncle Benedict to come back. 

"I hope we are not bothering you," Roxana said. 

"Not at all. I am enjoying myself." 

She smiled feeling warmth in her heart. He must have needed this. It was terrible to feel locked inside. 

"Your uncle seems to care for you a lot." 

Roxana nodded. "He does. He is golden-hearted. Whenever I feel alone or lose hope, I just look around. I am blessed with very good people in my life and nothing can ever be more valuable than having good people in your life." 

She was indeed blessed. While looking for her family she found another one. Instead of finding her sister, she found a brother. Instead of her real father, she found another father and an uncle. One day perhaps she would find a mother as well. 

Roxana turned to Alexander. He watched the waves in silence. She had heard that he had no family. His family died and he was in this powerful position all alone while danger lurked around him. How lonely that must be. 

"I am back." Uncle Benedict came with bowls and spoons and a blanket. "Your Majesty, you should not sit on the sand. Here." He said laying out the blanket. 

Alexander went to sit on the blanket with a smile. "Thank you," he said. 

Uncle Benedict served them the soup. "I hope it didn't get cold."

Alexander took his bowl and spoon and they watched him as he took a sip and tasted it. "Uncle Ben. You are a good cook." He said causing the old man to grin with joy. 

"Your Majesty. I am delighted to have met you. I feel at ease to know that someone like you is our king. I pray for your good health. Fish is good for the health. Make sure to eat it regularly." 

Roxana nodded in agreement. 

The king smiled and finished his soup. Uncle Benedict insisted he had more and he finished it as well. Roxana couldn't help the smile that curved her lips. Oh, if he could only stay with her. If he only wasn't a king but that would be selfish. The people needed him more than she did. She was happy that he was the king. 

What was wrong with her suddenly getting so emotional and selfless? 

After they finished, Uncle Benedict excused himself, bidding the king farewell and taking the plot and bowls with him. He gave her a look before leaving. 

"Well, I should go as well," Alexander said rising.

Not already. Time felt so short with him. She watched him wanting to plead. Please stay.

His eyes narrowed, and his lips pressed into a thin line as if trying to stop himself from saying something. 

"Will you be able to go back safely? Maybe I should come with you." 

"No." He said. "Go home and rest. I will be alright." 

With a stifled breath, he turned around and walked away, putting the hoodie over his head again. Roxana watched him slowly getting further away from her. He didn't belong here anyway. 

She had never been irrational or idealistic. She was a realist and the reality was that they belonged to different worlds. Sure. She liked to challenge reality from time to time and sometimes she even succeeded but other times, reality came back hitting her harder in the face. And oh… it stung like hell. 

The reality here was that she was a woman, fooling powerful Lords and the king himself. Who would believe she was only doing it to steal if she was ever found? Not that it wouldn't be enough to execute her. But it would be seen as more than just that. She would be considered a spy. Tortured, to tell the truth of who she worked for before finally getting executed for treason. 

Roxana knew she had to leave soon if she ever wanted to see her parents before her death. The king's chamber would be where the treasure would lie. Whenever she got the opportunity to get into his room, she would steal, and since she was becoming his personal guard now, that could happen. But being alone in his room would be very unlikely and being with him wouldn't be optimal for stealing so she would have to apply her medical skills. Maybe drug him for a while, make her theft and then run away.

Fast. Far. 

She hurried home to make her plan and Fanny was already home which was great. 

"Fanny? I need to talk to you." She went to sit with him. "We need to leave soon." 

"Did something happen? What happened to your face? " He asked with a frown. 

"Long story. The king. He is strangely kind to me and wants me to be his personal guard. Also the way he looks at me… I need to leave fast." 

Fanny raised his eyebrows in surprise. "So you mean he … he liked you? As Rox?" 

She sighed. "I don't know anymore. Maybe I am misunderstanding his intentions but either way, we need to move fast. He wants me to follow him on some trip to another kingdom." 

Fanny looked thoughtful. "Do you perhaps think… he knows you are a woman?" 

She would have thought so if she didn't have reasons to believe otherwise. "If he knew why would he not reveal my disguise? What good does he get from liking a man as if the rumors about him aren't enough already? It makes him look bad." 

He frowned. "Right. Not good for a king." 

"I will steal as soon as I can but I need those flowers or blades. You know the ones that sedate a person." 

"Will you be able to use that?" He asked. 

"Why not?" 

He shrugged. "You seem to care for him." 

Her heart clenched. He was a good person. She wasn't. So yes, she would be able to do it. She had to. 

"I don't care."

He just smiled. 

"What is it?" 

"You are doing it again."

"What?" 

"Vilifying yourself." 

She was becoming frustrated. "What do you want me to do? Admit that I care? For what? Then what?"

"And you get angry when your emotions are involved." 

"I am not getting angry." 

"You also deny your anger during those times." 

She clenched her jaw, closes her eyes, and took a deep breath. "What exactly do you want me to do Fanny? You are confusing me these days." She opened her eyes and he looked at her with sadness. 

"I don't know. I just don't want you to do anything that you will hate yourself for later." 

"I will be fine." Once she found her family everything would be fine.. The pain of the past would be left in the past and she would live in the present with her family.